Composed by George Frederic Handel in 1741, the Messiah is one of Western classical music’s best-known choral works. With Christian-based themes combining parts of the King James Bible and psalms from the Book of Common Prayer, the piece is frequently performed during the Christmas season. And so it will be on December 22 at Saint Mary’s Church in Cold Spring, in a concert to benefit Saint Mary’s and the Philipstown Food Pantry.
The Messiah orchestra will have 21 of the top professional period instrument players from the finest New York orchestras, a chorus of same size, and four outstanding soloists. These musicians have performed in the annual Messiahs at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Saint Thomas Church, and Trinity Church. Several of the players appeared in “The Beggar’s Opera” orchestra at the Philipstown Depot Theater last fall.
To get you in the mood, here’s the Messiah’s instantly recognizable “Hallelujah Chorus”:
Handel’s Messiah will be performed at Saint Mary’s Church in Cold Spring on December 22 at 2pm and 5pm. Tickets start at $20 and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, call (845) 440 8290.
